Heat exchange method and apparatus



March 21, 1967 w. A. SOMMER 3,310,101

HEAT EXCHANGE METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Nov. 16, 1964 INVENTOR WILLIAM A. SOMMER ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3 310 101 HEAT EXCHANGE MEriioD AND APPARATUS William A. Sommer, Elgin, Ill., assignor to The Borden Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,217 6 Claims. (Cl. 165-120) This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for processing sealed canned comestibles. More particularly it relates to an apparatus and process Whereby improved agitation rates are achieved in sterilizer units for sealed canned comestibles.

Sterilizer apparatus for sealed canned foods generally provide for moving the canned goods through a heating unit under agitation of sorts for at least la portion of its travel through the sterilizer unit. The cans are generally maintained at sterilization temperature and subsequently pass into the cooling unit. U.S. Patent No. 2,391,203 discloses a cylindrical apparatus whereby sealed cans of evaporated milk (their cylindrical axes being parallel to the axis of the apparatus) are passed through a sterilizing unit in canway channels and maintained therein by rails on a reel. The first section of the canway channel is movable along the longitudinal axis; the second Section of the unit is stationary. The rails of the rotating reel are T, I or L or similar bars which form compartments for the cans and also move the said cans along the helical path of the canway channel. In this type of system the cans undergo rolling agitation only when they are in contact with the canway channel, are being moved by the T, I or L, or other similar bar, and have a coecient of friction sufficient to result in rolling of the can while being pushed by the bar along the canway channel. It has been found that such rolling agitation takes place over an arc of about 120 as measured by 60 arcs on either side of a vertical line drawn down from the center of the axis of rotation of the sterilizing unit to the underside of the casing of the sterilizing unit. The 120 arc is designated in FIGURE 2 as lines C and D. Outside of this 120 arc the can is moved along by the rotation of the reel and no rolling agitation occurs in the remaining 240 because the coeflicient of friction is not suicient to result in rolling of the cans. Therefore, over an arc of about 240, the rate of heat transfer through the contents of the can is reduced, in turn requiring longer residues and larger equipment. Since the residence time of the can within the sterilizing unit is a function of the time -required to have the contents of the can attain sterilization temperature it would be advantageous to have the can undergo rolling agitation for the entire 240 arc particularly during the initial heating and cooling stages.

Briey stated the present invention provides an improved apparatus and process for imparting rolling agitation to cans in a sterilization unit as described herein for 360 arc of a cans movement within the sterilizer described.

I have found that by aixing a magnet to the periphery of the sterilization unit, the cans cling to the canway channel and are simultaneously pushed along by the rail. These combined forces result in a rolling motion imparted to the can which agitates the contents of the can and thereby improves the heat transfer. The magnet may be around the entire periphery of the sterilization unit, or for that portion of the circular path where the frictional forces are insufficient to impart rolling motion to the cans. The magnet may extend axially for any desired distance, preferably for the distance required to bring the can up to sterilization temperature. The magnet may be permanent or electro-magnetic, the latter obviously is capable of closer control than the former.

3,310,101 Patented Mar. 21, '1967 "lee The invention will ber readily understood from the description set forth having reference to the drawings.

FIG'URE l is a plan view in diagrammatic arrangement of t-he apparatus of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view along line A-A.

Referring to IFIGURE 1, cans 1 having previously been lfilled `with lcomestibles are fed into conveyor 2 and by a series of pressure valves, herein cumulatively shown as 3, and enter sterilization unit 4. The cans enter into helically pathed canway channel 5 (FIGURE 2) and are kept moving in a circular path and forward along said canway by rotating reel 6 having (in this case) L rails 7. The resultant path of the can is helical.

Electro-magnet 8 is energized via electrical coils diagramatically shown as 9 and 10 to create a magnetic eld of strength suiicient to make cans 1 cling to canway channel 5 over the 240 arc between lines shown as C and D.

It can be readily seen that cans 1 will be moved by rails 7 while at the same time clinging to canway channel 5. The sum of the forces on the cans 1 result in a rotary motion about the axis of rotation of the cans so that rolling agitation is imparted to the cans as they are moved along canway channel 5. In the arc Vdesignating C and D a magnetic eld is not required because the frictional forces are suflicient to impart the desired rotational energy to the cans in this segment of the circle.

The longitudinal distance in which the magnetic covering extends along the heat exchange chamber depends upon, among other factors, the food stuffs within the cans, the sterilization temperature desired, and the residence time during sterilization. Generally, once the cans have reached sterilization temperature, rotational motion of the can is no longer required and there-fore the magnetic plate 8 may be terminated at this point.

Various additional mechanisms may be added to the improved apparat-us such as movable and stationary sections of the canway. Reference is made to U.S. Patent No. 2,391,203 in order to show'in detail the basic apparatus for which the present invention is an improvement.

Once the cans have passed through the heat-ing section of the sterilization unit the cans are transferred to cooling unit 11 via transfer mechanism 12 and discharged to further processing through discharge mechanism 13.

In order to achieve a faster rate of cooling in cooling chamber 11 of the sterilization apparatus (which appar-atus has the same canway channels and rail system as heating unit 4) magnets may be installed therein as described for the heating chambers.

Heating is usually accomplished by passing steam through heating chamber 4. The steam may be under pressure as desired, the only requirement being the temperature needed for the comestible in the cans. Other forms of heating, but not limited to, include, hot air or other gases, or hot water or other liquids. Cooling may be accomplished by passing cool air or other gas, or cool water or other liquid through cooling chamber 11. The construction of the apparatus including valves and transfer mechanism, should be such as to accommodate the fluids.

As materials of construction, generally any suitable material may be used such as steel, aluminum and the like. The only limitation is that of economies when measured against the standard of corrosion resistance. In order to prevent unnecessary magnetic attraction between the component parts and the magnet, it may be desirable to use non-magnetic parts in the construction of the apparatus. O-f course, the cans which are processed are attractable by the magnet, that is, magnetizable.

It will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifcations of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An improved heat exchange apparatus for processing comestibles canned in sealed magnetizable cans comprising:

(1) a substantially cylindrical casing having an inlet and outlet;

(2) a rotatable reel being within the chamber defined by said casing, and on the periphery of said reel there being a canway channel and longitudinal rails, which said channel and rails dene can compartments with said casing; and,

(3) magnetic means for magnetizing said cans, and said means in conjunction with said reel and rails to impart non-vibratory unidirectional rotation to cans traveling along said canway channel, `said means lbeing extended axially along the periphery of the heating portion of said chamber from about the inlet of said chamber at least the distance required to raise the temperature of said canned comestibles to their sterilization temperature, and extending circumferentially about the periphery of the heating portion of said chamber for at least that portion of the casing lwherein the frictional forces in the can compartment are insuicient to impart rotating motion to the can.

2. The apparatus of claim l wherein said comestibles are milk products.

3, An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said magnetic means is a magnet and encompasses an arc of about 240 measured as an arc starting at a point about 60 from a vertical line drawn down from the center of the axis of `rotation of said apparatus to the underside of said apparatus.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said magnetic means is a magnet and encompasses an arc of about 240 measured as an are starting at a point about 60 from a vertical line drawn down from the center of the axis of rotation of said apparatus to the underside of said apparatus.

5. `An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said magnetic means comprises an electro-magnet.

6. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said magnetic means comprises an electro-magnet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,094,785 10/1937 Flint 165-120 X 2,391,203 12/1945 Thompson 99-365 FOREIGN PATENTS 849,691 9/ 1960 Great Britain.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primaly Examine/' T. W. STRIEULE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN IMPROVED HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING COMESTIBLES CANNED IN SEALED MAGNETIZABLE CANS COMPRISING: (1) A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CASING HAVING AN INLET AND OUTLET; (2) A ROTATABLE REEL BEING WITHIN THE CHAMBER DEFINED BY SAID CASING, AND ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID REEL THERE BEING A CANWAY CHANNEL AND LONGITUDINAL RAILS, WHICH SAID CHANNEL AND RAILS DEFINE CAN COMPARTMENTS WITH SAID CASING; AND, (3) MAGNETIC MEANS FOR MAGNETIZING SAID CANS, AND SAID MEANS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID REEL AND RAILS TO IMPART NON-VIBRATORY UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATION TO CANS TRAVELING ALONG SAID CANWAY CHANNEL, SAID MEANS BEING EXTENDED AXIALLY ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE HEATING PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER FROM ABOUT THE INLET OF SAID CHAMBER AT LEAST THE DISTANCE REQUIRED TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CANNED COMESTIBLES TO THEIR STERILIZATION TEMPERATURE, AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE HEATING PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER FOR AT LEAST THAT PORTION OF THE CASING WHEREIN THE FRICTIONAL FORCES IN THE CAN COMPARTMENT ARE INSUFFICIENT TO IMPART ROTATING MOTION TO THE CAN. 